Guest Blogger Peggy Greenway: Seasons Change and So Do We

May 6, 2016 – By #South Dakota Farmer Union

Spring on our farm means many things – baby calves, mud, first lawn mowing, planting crops, field lunches, doing chores without heavy winter clothes and boots, and longer work days as we rush to stay ahead of all the things that need to be done.

Thirty five years ago I would’ve never guessed that spring would mean all these things to me. I haven’t always been a farmer. I grew up in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota where the only agriculture related experience I had was weeding our little backyard garden.  

Brad and I met at our one year of college and were married at the age of twenty. We started farming during the 80’s and had a very meager start. Brad got a small wage from his parents in the beginning, and I worked full time in town, while we raised two children and gradually added livestock and crop land over the years.

Times were tough and the work was hard, really hard. We were blessed to gain the trust of some retiring farmer neighbors who rented their land to us. We’ve been farming some of the same land for 25 years and are appreciative for the great opportunity those landlords give us each year.  

Like most farms, we’ve changed and improved our operation continually. We aren’t always on the cutting edge of new things, but we are constantly working at doing things better. I think the best thing we ever did was build our first 2400 head wean-to-finish pig barn ten years ago. We added another one in 2013. Over the years we went from a farrow-to-feeder pig operation (housing sows outside), to farrow-to-finish in hoop barns, to our current system which is wean-to-finish in modern, climate controlled barns. We no longer farrow sows, but instead are co-owners of a sow farm with 14 other area pig farmers. That farm is the source of our weaned pigs we raise to market weight.  

Modern pig farms sometimes get a bad rap – some people call them “factory farms”, or “industrial farms”. I get really frustrated with those terms because like 97% of all farms in the United States, we are still very much a family farm. Brad and I, along with our employee, raise 10,000 pigs each year. I am so proud to provide our pigs with comfortable shelter through all seasons of the year. There is no better feeling than knowing we’ve greatly improved animal care and that we’re providing safe, nutritious food for our family and other consumers, all while reducing our environmental impact by using less land and water.  

This spring I will be busy doing all the things I listed earlier, but I will also be busy with a relatively new activity important for farmers – advocating for agriculture. There are so many things farmers have improved over the years. It’s important to share the truth of modern agriculture and celebrate the efficiency, productivity, and diversity of American farmers.

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Last Modified: 05/06/2016 2:14:48 pm MDT